One more game with current/old book.

[Darkangeldentist]

With the new book on the horizon (why isn’t it out yet?!) I thought this recent game might well be my last game with the current/old book. It’s been a while since my Dark angels actually took to the field (recently I have been using Nids and mostly just painting my dark angels) and since I am in the mood decided to write a narrative style battle report. It was a slightly impromptu game and I cobbled together roughly 2000 points of my Dark angels to take part in a local club’s Horus Heresy campaign. I had not been part of it up until now so was unaware of some of the restrictions. So my points were a little off and I was forced to swap two of my assault cannons for auto cannons. This was a bit of a shame for my venerable dreadnought but turned out to be a plus for the speeder. My opponent didn’t have it all their own way either as Lucius had in his last game ascended into Daemonhood (which will have some interesting consequences for the campaign) so a regular lord took his place.

 

My list was;

 

Interrogator chaplain Abdiel: melta bombs

Librarian Barakiel: terminator armour (with force axe and storm bolter) Divination powers (misfortune and prescience powers)

Command squad with apothecary carrying a meltagun and 2 power weapons

Rhino dedicated transport with extra storm bolter.

Venerable dreadnought Cameal: autocannon and storm bolter

Deathwing terminator squad: assault cannon and 1 chainfist

Deathwing terminator squad: 2x thunder hammers & storm shields, 3 lightning claws, cyclone missile launcher

Full tactical squad with plasma cannon, power weapon and melta bombs

Full tactical squad with meltagun and powerfist

Full Ravenwing attack squadron with 2 flamers and powerfist

Attack bike with multimelta

Landspeeder with autocannon and heavy bolter

Landspeeder with typhoon missile launcher and heavy bolter

 

The Chaos forces were Emperors children and their forces featured a huge number of fanatical followers of that most depraved of the chaos gods. Notably the army featured 3 large mobs of noise marines, a small cadre of chosen and a unit of terminators with banner of slaanesh but what caught my eye most were a unit of havocs and two squads of bikes who also carried banners dedicated to slaanesh. The chaos lord was mostly unremarkable having only recently taken command (though he was advised by a fork tongued sorcerer) but that mattered not as it meant the chaos forces were well equipped with special equipment.

 

 

The dawnlight started to illuminate the two forces who once would have called each other brothers in arms and Chaplain Abdiel felt a burning frustration as how the marines across the plain could have fallen so far. Already the taint of chaos had spread so far that he would not have recognised most of the marines of the Emperor’s children as space marines any more. A cluster of terminators stood guarding their heavy weapons unit and further along that flank was almost a horde of bikers revving their engines in hedonistic revelry. To the centre of the enemy force was a twisted creation that barely even resembled the dreadnought it must once have been, behind lurked a vindicator navigating the shallow river that bisected this area. Sprawling from the centre to the left flank was the bulk of the infantry, several squads of marines wielding unfamiliar weaponry, some heavy in appearance. The Dark angels had the initiative though and the Ravenwing were already in forward positions looking for a chance to pluck the heart out of the enemy lines. Most of Abdiel’s marines were deployed to the right opposite the bikers and chaos heavy weapons. Boldy a squad of Deathwing were deployed with Librarian Barakiel opposite the vindicator and enemy terminators, next to them venerable Camael stood ready to advance on the enemy. Abdiel, accompanied by his command squad were awaiting the order to advance inside their rhino whilst a combat squad of marines with plasma cannon stood ready to lob deadly ranged support to the advance. Lastly the remainder of the ravenwing compliment were deployed to spy more vulnerable spots on the enemy armour.

 

As the first rays of light started to spill out over the horizon the Dark angels started their advance. On a hill to the right flank, guided by the ravenwing’s signal another squad of terminators appeared. Abdiel’s commanded his transport forward at full speed as the rest of the army advanced. A melta shot from the attack bike caused a blinding flash as it struck the chaos dreadnought but the force of the shot was lacking and the hull of the creation stood firm. The newly arrived deathwing sent a couple of missiles into the side of the vindicator and the vehicle rocked from the impact. Another pair of missiles streaked across the dawn sky along with a stream of heavy bolter rounds trying to find a weak point in the enemy terminators that the bulk of the Ravenwing had advanced on but their shots bounced off. Camael’s aim was true and his auto-cannon breached the hull of his opposite number who exploded with dull orange burst of flame tinged with green and black smoke. Librarian Barakiel guided his squads shots into the enemy terminators but against their armour proved impervious. Realising their peril the Ravenwing pulled back, gunning their engines to the fullest to put enough distance between them and the enemy elite so they might even the odds up more before commiting. The bulk of the marines ran forward to support the forward squad of deathwing.

 

The chaos lord sprang forward guiding his followers shots determined to show his combat prowess by dealing with the attack bike in personal combat. The chaos terminators advanced and directed their reaper auto-cannon at Camael but the shots bounced harmlessly off his hull, the havocs proved far more deadly and Abdiel’s rhino was destroyed in a bright blaze of burning fuel. The command squad picked themselves up only to be mercilessly gunned down by the concentrated fire of all the marines that could see them, the sonic weapons wreaking terrible damage. Worse was to come as the chosen elite of the chaos force sprang forward and focused plasma and melta fire towards Abdiel, fortunately though his rosarius protected him and though wounded he stood firm and resolute. Over on the right flank the biker throng raced upon on the Deathwing with all guns blazing, a torrent of bolter shells sparked their paths across the armour of the elite terminators but one fell and worse was to come as the assault of the bikes threatened to overwhelm the small squad but the weight of numbers and attacks were nothing to the determination of the Deathwing and though only two survived they stood firm. The attack bike crew were less fortunate and were killed by the chaos lord who attempted to return to the safety of his fellows.

 

Librarian Barakiel changed tactics and focused his powers on cursing the enemy. His powers would prove crucial as the chaos terminators seemed if anything energised by pain. The Landspeeder typhoon flew behind the Deathwing as they advanced to regroup with Abdiel and a missile avenged the attack bike. Without their lord’s guidance and encouragement the chaos forces would be slightly less resolute and deadly. The bikes advanced onto the terminators and this time the focused fire of the bolters and another plasma cannon blast reduced the squad to only two members, weak enough for the bikes to confidently attempt to finish off in combat. The tactical marines shared this aim and focused their attention on extricating the Deathwing from the fray with the bikers. Camael and the other speeder managed between them to bring down the vindicator whilst Barakiel and the Deathwing he commanded gunned down most of the chosen. In combat the Ravenwing lost their sergeant in mutual destruction with the champion and the rest managed to drag down the last member of the squad. Things went less well for the marines versus the chaos bikers as their howls of pleasure at being beaten and cut saw few fall but enough did so that despite the challenge between champion and terminator sergeant being a stalemate the combat was won by the Dark angels. However the chaos forces were unperturbed by the danger and swarmed in response to the losses, eager to experience more pain.

 

Battle was truly joined as the chaos forces responded as the bulk of the infantry finally moved to claim more of the battlefield and bring ever more of their firepower to bear. The fusillade of shots fell harmlessly around the Deathwing and Land speeder but when the attentions were turned to the ravenwing stood in front of the havocs things were much less favourable. The squad was annihilated after the sorcerer charged in to finish off the survivor. The surviving chosen chose to direct their shots on Camael and their shots proved deadly, despite his tenacity the great warrior’s hull was breached and his reactor exploded. The chaos bikers seemed to have been spurred on by the success of their fellows so close to them and redoubled their efforts killing a couple of marines and the dark angels broke from combat but the Deathwing sergeant continued to stand firm and held the chaos forces at bay to allow his brothers the chance to regroup.

 

Regrouping faultlessly the squad redoubled their efforts to free their brother from the fight with the chaos scum and this time every marine nearby would join the fight. Librarian Barakiel’s concentration faltered as he attempted to guide the typhoon’s shots into the remaining chosen and it took both it and the Deathwing to finish off the unit but achieve this they did. A plasma blast took out a chaos marine after the shot scattered slightly off course. The tide of combat swung yet again as the now resurgent forces of the Dark angels slaughtered the majority of the chaos bikers and the terminator sergeant finally landed a telling blow onto the champion of one of the biker squads. The survivors were headless of losses though and the fight would drag on.

 

The havocs now turned their attentions to the speeders with the typhoon’s grav plate damaged and it drifted to the ground. Abdiel, Barakiel and the Deathwing became the focus of the chaos marines fury and the firepower unleashed was horrific and deafening as the air shook visibly from the effects of the sonic weaponry but the armour of the Deathwing proved tough to crack and only a single member fell. Combat saw the exuberance of the chaos followers exhausted as the fight wore on but the champion held out in his challenge with the terminator sergeant even as his last fellows fell to the blows of the dark angels.

 

Navigating the river proved tricker than expected but still the Deathwing advanced towards the chaos line, Barakiel focused his powers on weakening the defences of the havocs as Abdiel commanded the plasma cannon direct a shot towards them, the blast claimed 3 of their number and the remaining guns of the deathwing claimed another but alas the heavy weapons remained. The combat saw the chaos champion fall to the hammer of the sergeant’s Wrath, his defensive stance having proved impenetrable. The squads spreading out to minimise the damage they might receive from the chaos forces in retaliation.

 

The sorcerer advanced away from the havocs to pick on the smaller marine unit and in a display of arcane sorcery killed the sergeant and one of his fellows spooking the squad into a tactical withdrawal before he could charge them. Finally one of the speeders was brought down by the chaos heavy weapons who chose to obey the commands of their sorcerer in spite of the threat of the Deathwing sergeant approaching them. Meanwhile the massed chaos marines continued their pummelling of the Deathwing in the hopes of killing them and the characters they shielded. Two more fell but they continued to stand firm in the face of such fire. Truly the emperor protects!

 

The day was waning and there was little left to fight over but the final moves were still to be made, the Deathwing and the commanders of the Dark angels stumbled in the river and any hopes of an assault were put out of mind, instead they continued the uneven exchange of fire. The remainder of the small combat squad who had fled from the sorcerer regrouped behind the wreck of one speeder to secure the point. The valiant sergeant who had crushed two champions of chaos now braced behind his shield plunged into the face of the havocs defensive fire whilst his brother marines charged at the chaos sorcerer. The fights were unimpressive with the single chaos marine falling the thunder hammer of the sergeant and a single marine fell on the blade of the sorcerer’s force sword.

 

The chaos marines were growing bored and tired of focusing fire on foes that wouldn’t fall or show even the slightest hint of pain or pleasure from the attentions but for the time being they continued, this time focusing more on finishing off the plasma cannon unit and the typhoon (which survived for yet another turn!) and the Deathwing continued to proved invulnerable. Combats were also a stalemate and looked as if they would continue into the night.

 

Battle was abruptly abandoned as the skies overhead were filled with craft flying overhead. Some livery declared allegiance to chaos but the majority were part of the Dark angel’s own flotilla and with this the chaos forces withdrew, the lord was dead and whilst they held more of the battlefield they had failed to take command of it and lost too many elite and specialist warriors. The sorcerer sensing the change in his follower’s determination and seeing the havocs embroiled in combat with a terminator decided to make his own escape and uttered an incantation and as doing so thrust his fist into the chest of a space marine. As the blood flowed out around hole in the armour runes appeared around the sorcerers bloodstained arm and spread until he appeared consumed but nebulous fire that writhed in the shape of demonic runes until his form was nothing but a blaze of light before suddenly and with an almost painful abruptness vanished.

 

Abdiel scanned the battlefield searching for remaining traitors and possible survivors. At his feet one of the fallen Deathwing terminators who had shielded him from the concentrated fire of the traitors was prone face down in the shallow water of the river. Further back he knew lay another fallen member of the squad who was now being checked by Barakiel, that one might still live since the wounds had been caused by bolter rounds whereas the poor soul at his feet had died to the strange sonic weapons their enemies had brought.

Betrayal such as this could never be forgiven, never forgotten and vengeance would be dealt!

 

*******

 

The actual game was a scouring mission with standard pitched battle deployment. In the end chaos held two objectives worth a total of 4 victory points whilst the Dark angels held only one outright worth just 2 but thanks to the Deathwing thunder hammer sergeant, first blood and slay the warlord points the game was a Dark angel victory 5 points to 4.

 

Having an auto cannon on a speeder was amazingly good and I kind of wish I could take them normally...dreadnought would have been happier with a twin-linked version but it was my mistake not knowing all the rules for the campaign and overall I think it worked out better for me than it hindered. Playing a few points down was more of an issue but it had been a fun game and very entertaining.

 

If you've made it all the way to the end of this little indulgence of mine then congratulations. I hope you enjoyed reading and share my eager anticipation for our new book. (If you've read all the way to this point how could you not?!) I feel it only worth pointing out though that I played this game using out current/old book against the new chaos one and whilst I'll freely admit I was running out of models and being very hard pressed by the end of it the game had been extremely good fun with a lot of back and forth. I have a newfound hatred of blastmasters though. (Ignores cover on top of a blast krak missile launcher!? What were they thinking!)

 

Bring on the new book! I want my new toys....pretty please! ;)

[egon1six]

Awesome report!!! I greatly enjoy reading these type of reports! Makes the games much more memorable!! Congrats on the win!

[captain sox]

Awesome report!!! I greatly enjoy reading these type of reports! Makes the games much more memorable!! Congrats on the win!

 

+40,000!

 

This is what the hobby is about. Even though they are plastic miniatures, the imagination is left to create grandiose and epic moments.

 

Bravo on your victory, and for presenting this great report!

[Darkangeldentist]

Thank you very much for the feedback, glad you enjoyed.

[Gillyfish]

Very nice dentist - glad to see your touch with the DA on the battlefield hasn't deserted you either! :)